War in the Weird West
by Courier999
Summary: The year is 1884. Two chronologically-displaced factions of Transformers are marooned in Utah and wage a war over energon. In the meantime, gunslingers, soldiers, outlaws, and the like play a game of alliances with these aliens, along with various other players. Rated T for violence and scary content. Set in the same universe as "Musical Illusionists" and other Earth-H fics. R&R!
1. Chapter 1

BEAST WARS: War in the Weird West

 _Transformers: Beast Wars_ and related characters are property of Hasbro. Arizona Annie, the Rawhide Kid, Phantom Rider, and related characters are property of Marvel. This takes place on Earth-H, and is in canon with previous Hasbro fanfics as well as _Spider-Man: Partners in Crime Remastered._

Chapter 1: Arrival

HÖLLENFEUR, UTAH TERRITORY- 1884:

There was a deafening boom as two colossal vessels crashed from the sky. One vessel- the _Axalon_ \- had embedded itself between a rock formation. The other- the _Darksyde-_ broke in two, both halves embedding into the ground of the salt flat.

* * *

THE AXALON

"Oh man- we're all gonna die!" a voice griped.

"Quiet, Rattrap. We've made it down onto- Rhinox, where are we?" another voice replied.

" _Primal, according to sensors, we're on Earth…wait, this can't be right. We're about 80 local years before the_ Ark _crashed!_ " yet another voice added.

An awkward silence settled over the Maximal crew.

"What about energon?"

Rhinox made a noise similar to a human being clucking their tongue.

"This area's rich with it. _Too_ rich."

"What do ya mean, too rich?" a fourth voice piped up.

"Cheetor,if you wander out there in robot mode for more than a couple hours, you're liable to fry thanks to energon radiation. That's assuming other stuff doesn't get you first." Rhinox replied.

Cheetor propped himself up against a bulkhead.

"Yawn-o-Rama. I can handle it."

"Famous last words." Rhinox snarked.

"Anyways, I assume that given the time period, we aren't going to have much in the way of mechanical alt-modes." Optimus Primal added.

Rhinox nodded.

"Even if we did, this place'd run them ragged. Our best bet is to scan local wildlife."

"Acknowledged. Let's get the CR chambers up and running." Primal added.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

If you're worrying about Waspinator, Airrazor and Terrorsaur being here and in _War of the Machines_ \- don't. The versions there are not the same as the versions here. Anyways, here are the Maximals' beast modes.

Optimus Primal: Argopelter (for my international readers, the argopelter is a creature of American lumberjack folklore. Basically, it's a wiry creature with the face of an ape, although I am taking liberties and making it more akin to a gorilla here.)

Rhinox: Rhinoceros

Rattrap: Norwegian rat

Cheetor: Jaguar.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Welcome To Höllenfeur

" _Oh, what was your name in the States? Was it Thompson or Johnson or Bates? Did you happen to draw on your mother-in-law? Or sink the old lady with weights?_ "

Doctor Edward Bright tried his best to ignore the singing of the red-haired saloon girl.

"So, what brings a city slicker like you out here in Deseret?" one of the patrons asked.

"For the last time, this is Utah. Deseret died with Bringham Young." Bright snapped.

"You didn't answer my question."

Bright sighed.

"I'm a distinguished scientist and a professor of geology at Miskatonic University back East. I'm here to investigate some new wondrous mineral called 'ghost rock'. Care to tell me more about it?"

At that moment, a white man with a long beard and brown hair walked over to Bright.

"How do you do, _compadre_?"

"Fine. Who are you?"

"Name's Ben Slattery, Miskatonic University. I'm with the Thaumaturgy Department, and I'm here to check out this 'ghost rock' too."

Bright groaned.

"Can we at least see a sample of this 'ghost rock'?" he asked.

An unwashed miner shot his hand beneath his table and produced a good-sized chunk of the mineral in question.

"What the devil?" Slattery and Bright asked in unison.

Before the duo's eyes was a fist-sized mass of a purplish glowing rock.

"That's ghost rock." the miner whispered.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Yes, Edward Bright and Ben Slattery are the ancestors of Derek Bright and Jonathan M. "Liquidator" Slattery. Also, 'ghost rock' is energon. And finally, the song that the saloon girl sings is an actual folk song from the Old West.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Predacons

"Scorponok, give us a damage report."

" _The ship is as good as derelict, Megatron. It'd be easier to build a new one than to get this one repaired, even if we had a proper drydock- which we don't-_ "

"That will be all, Scorponok."

Seated upon his captain's throne, Megatron surveyed the remains of the ship's CIC.

"Tarantulas- report on the immediate area."

" _There are large deposits of energon. Radiation levels from said deposits well eventually harm us unless we adopt alternate modes. That being said, we are greater risk from other environmental hazards than the energon radiation._ "

Megatron nodded as he turned to two of his other lackeys.

"Dinobot, Waspinator- salvage what you can from the rest of the ship, yesss."

Dinobot's jaw dropped.

"Get Terrorsaur to do it. As your SIC, I should not have to lower myself to mere salvage!"

Megatron shot Dinobot a death glare.

"Are you not aware that the Maximals have probably landed on this world as well? We should go and fight them now- preferably under my command!" the latter continued.

One of Megatron's optic sensors twitched.

"Dinobot-"

Just then, the intercom on the captain's throne buzzed.

" _Attention, Predacons. Report to the medbay- or what's left of it- for reformatting. Tarantulas out._ "

Dinobot turned to Megatron and hissed as he went to the remains of the _Darksyde's_ medbay.

 _I distrust that spider. Primus knows that he's going to have a field day experimenting on the native wildlife._ he thought.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The War Begins

"Ya know, you're not a bad shot for a city slicker." a woman piped up as she surveyed the remains of Bright's target practice.

"Well, it's not my first time out West. Also, who are you?"

"Call me Arizona Annie, pardner. And what do you mean, you've been out West before?"

Bright muttered a few curses under his breath.

"I teach geology at Miskatonic. Let's just say I've been out here on academic expeditions."

Arizona Annie shot her hand up.

"Pardon me, Professor- but can you handle a gun? And I don't mean a Derringer."

Bright snorted.

"I served in The Late Unpleasantness."

"Like I'd believe that! You're a bit too much of a shaver to've served alongside Sherman 'n Grant!"

"I enlisted underage! Also, I'm of hardy Pennsylvania stock, so there's that."

"But can you handle a gun?"

"I was the armorer on the Miskatonic Centennial Expedition. That came in handy when Cope and Marsh sent their leg-breakers to our dig sites. That answer your question?"

"It does. Now help me get your stuff in the wagon."

* * *

"We don't have to do this, Megatron. Why end the centuries of peace?" Optimus Primal asked.

"Peace perhaps on your side, Maximal scum. Yess. But not on ours. Permit me to inform you that an enemy which appears to be peaceful may in face be merely…biding its time." came the reply.

At that moment, Cheetor leaned out from behind a rock and took a potshot at the assembled Predacons.

"A treacherous, underhanded sneak attack. I like you, pussycat. Yess. But it shall avail you naught. Noo. For now the power-gauntlet has been cast."

There was a sudden bellowing roar.

"PREDACONS! TERRORIZE!"

Optimus Primal turned to his fellow Maximals.

"Do it! MAXIMIZE!"

* * *

There was a sound like an artillery piece discharging as Bright began to set up his equipment.

"What on God's green Earth-"

He looked to the horizon and his jaw dropped. Some distance away, two lines of five colossal forms fought each other. Reflexively, he looked into his canteen.

"I have a feeling that something's out of the ordinary here." he muttered to himself.

* * *

"Nice goin', pussycat! Now we're gonna get shot ta scrap by the Preds!" Rattrap griped.

"I had the jump on them! We had an ad-" Cheetor began.

"You thought wrong, Cheetor." Rhinox interrupted.

"Maximals- now would be a good time to retreat. _BEAST MODE!_ " Optimus Primal announced.

As soon as he finished his pronouncement, Optimus Primal transformed into creature that resembled a gorilla. The other Maximals followed their leader's example and assumed their beast modes before fleeing.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

For my international readers, "the Late Unpleasantness" that Bright mentions is the American Civil War (1861-1865). For everyone else, the "Bone Wars" was a period of intense fossil speculation/discovery lasting from 1877 to 1892. It is best known for the rivalry between paleontologists Edward D. Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh.

As for Miskatonic University- it's from the works of HP Lovecraft and its presence in my fanfics started out as a shout out to Lovecraft. But now it's taken on a life of its own. Although if anyone wants me to do any Earth-H fics set at Miskatonic University, I'd be willing to write them.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Defected Dinobot

"Nice goin' there, Spots! You nearly got us scrapped by the Preds!" Rattrap griped as the Maximals ventured towards their base.

"You're the one always going on about the value of sneak attacks!" came Cheetor's reply as he walked alongside Rhinox.

"Yeah, well, you forgot to pick up the most important part of those statements. Namely that a sneak attack only really works if ya get your victim in one go!"

Optimus Primal sighed.

"Well, we got out alive."

"Yeah, but we took some damage. It'll take time for our wounds to heal. And I'm pretty sure the Predacons aren't going to take a breather from looking for energon while we do so." Rhinox replied.

"Speaking of, there were only five of them. According to the cruiser theft reports, there were six." Optimus Primal added.

"Maybe he got blown up in the crash."

"Not likely, Rattrap. That sort of luck isn't the type we've been getting lately."

Just then, Cheetor stopped.

"Tell me about it! Look!"

The Maximals focused on the lone therapod dinosaur idling near a rock formation.

"Should we blast 'im, Optimus?"

"Keep that option open, Rhinox. But hang on."

The therapod cleared its throat.

"Attention, Maximals! My name is Dinobot, and I have left the Predacons to join your group- as leader."

A long and awkward silence settled over the Maximals.

"Did I hear the word 'leader'?" Cheetor asked.

"Dude's got bearings of chrome steel." Rhinox added.

Dinobot pointed a raised claw.

"I hereby challenge you, Optimus Primal, to a one-on-one battle. The winner shall lead the Maximals…and the loser shall be destroyed."

Optimus transformed into his robot mode and approached his opponent.

"Let's get this over with."

Dinobot grinned a toothy grin.

"Dinobot- _MAXIMIZE!_ " he proclaimed.

The two transformed combatants looked each other over. Optimus was seemingly unarmed, while Dinobot held a rotating sword in one of his hands.

"Now, let us b-"

Before Dinobot could finish, Optimus Primal's left arm opened up, and a double-barreled shotgun extended from it.

"What are y-"

The surrounding area once again echoed with a sound like an artillery piece firing. As the dust cleared, Optimus Primal looked over a dazed Dinobot.

"Finish me already! You have bested me!" the latter hissed.

"That's not how we Maximals do things."

"Very well, Optimus Primal. I shall serve you as a loyal underling for your gracious sparing of my life."

Rattrap shot a hand up.

"Call me picky, but I'm not sure it was a fair fight. I mean, the boss bot blasted ya-" he began.

"It was an honorable fight. I was simply not prepared for the possibility that your leader may have possessed a ranged weapon, and I paid the price."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Sheriffs and Snakeheads

" _He's the guy who's the talk of the town- with the restless gun! Don't shoot broad out to fool him around- keeps the varmints on the run, boy, keeps the varmints on the run!_ " the saloon patrons sang.

Edward Bright downed another shot of the local whiskey.

"What are they singing about?" he asked.

"The local sheriff." Ben Slattery answered.

"What sort of feats is this guy doing? Is he better than Doc Holliday or Wyatt Earp?"

"You'll see."

As if on cue, a slight Asian man walked into the saloon.

"A Chinaman? They have a Chinaman as the sheriff?" Bright asked.

"He's not a Chinaman, Ed. He's from Japan." Ben replied.

The sheriff nodded as the bartender poured him a shot.

"What's his name?" Bright asked.

"Hideyo Arashikage. Says he's from a clan of spies back in Japan. Call themselves _shinobi_ , though some people call 'em _ninja_."

"But how'd h-"

"According to him, he was a soldier of fortune- or as he calls it, a _ronin_ \- back in Japan. He came here looking for work and got hired by one of the railroads to help deal with Indians."

"But how'd he get to be sheriff?"

"He showed up in town one day, brandishing one of them funny Japanese swords in one hand and a Colt .45 in the other. He asked if there was work for 'im. Seeing as how our last sheriff had a necktie social thanks to some bandits, we gave him the job." a local piped up.

Bright sighed as he examined his shot glass.

"What's in this stuff?" he asked.

"How much of that have you had?" Slattery asked.

"Four, maybe five shots."

"Well, maybe now's not a good time to tell you there were rattler heads in the still-"

Bright fell off his bar stool in a state of shocked intoxication.

" _He keeps alive with his Colt Forty-Five!_ " the patrons continued.

Ben Slattery sighed as he picked his fellow Miskatonic professor off the saloon floor.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

The song that the patrons are singing is NOT an actual song from the Old West. It's actually from the 1970 spaghetti western _Lo chlamavano Trinitå_ \- or _They Call Me Trinity_ as it was known in English. You may recognize the song from its presence in the 2012 Quentin Tarantino film _Django Unchained_. As for why it's here- it makes atmospheric sense.

As for the rattlesnake heads in the still- that was not a thing I made up. It was a real practice in the Old West! And as for what happened to the old sheriff, a "necktie social" in the Old West typically meant a hanging. Additionally, Hideyo Arashikage is the ancestor of both Hard Master and Storm Shadow.

And to clarify something from the last chapter, the reason Dinobot joined the Maximals was because that's what happened on the original _Beast Wars_ cartoon- pretty much the way I had it, except the fight ended with Optimus Primal and Dinobot nearly falling into a ravine courtesy of a Predacon ambush.

Also, as for why ronin and ninja are italicized- that's because they hadn't formally entered the English language in the 1880s. And finally for my international readers, Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday were lawmen in the American West in the late 19th Century. If you want a basic idea of who these men were, watch the movie _Tombstone_.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: First Thread of A Tangled Web

"Wazzpinator not understand why Tarantulas go this far away from base."

Tarantulas shot his cohort a death glare with all eight of his beast mode's eyes.

"Without Dinobot, we Predacons are at a severe disadvantage. Therefore, we must find allies among the locals."

As the two wandered through the mountainous forest, they heard the sounds of drums beating and men chanting.

"Wazzpinator want out of here-"

"You'll do no such thing! I believe we can use this to m- I mean, _our_ advantage."

The two Predacons looked on as a group of buckskin and deerskin-clad people were engaged in some kind of ritual. While they did so, Tarantulas began to mentally compare the scene to what information he had on the people of the area.

 _Closest match to available data- these humans are of the Navajo tribes._

"The Amerindians- perfect! Such primitive and simple beings will be child's play for m- I mean, us to manipulate!"

"Wazzpinator not think you should insult them. Also, according to Wazzpinator's files, they've been on rezzervations for decades by this point!"

"The white men must have missed a few. Now, let us see how they react to us."

The participants in the ritual saw the giant wasp and spider emerge from the forest and ran for their lives.

"Wazzpinator think this waste of time."

Just then, a lone man stood up.

"It is like the visions have told me. The spirits shall come in the form of giant beasts and help m- I mean, our people resist the white man."

Had his beast mode possessed eyelids, Waspinator would have blinked in confusion.

"We're not spirits! We are Predacons!" he balked.

"What's a Predacon?" the Indian man asked.

Tarantulas mentally smirked as he came up with an answer.

"We're beings from the stars who came to Earth in pursuit of our enemies the Maximals!"

"Then why do you look like beasts?"

"Because this world is baneful to us, and the beast forms protect us."

The Indian man nodded.

"Makes sense."

"Anyways, we Predacons need your help in fighting the Maximals. And in exchange for that, we'll help you out in your crusade." Tarantulas replied.

Waspinator stifled a laugh at the last part of Tarantulas's statement.

"You have a deal, Predacon."

"The name's Tarantulas, su- I mean, friend of friends whose name I don't know."

"My name is Gaagii Black-Bull. I am a practitioner of the witching ways. Through these ways, I bring death, defeat, and pestilence to my enemies."

Tarantulas grinned as best he could.

"Align with me, and you shall annihilate your enemies." he hissed.

Gaagii smirked as he thought the Predacon's offer over.

"You have a deal."

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Before anyone accuses me of racism, let me point out that Gaagii here is intended to be one of the bad guys. There will be more positive portrayals of Amerindians in this fic than this guy.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: And The Meek Shall Inherit The Earth

"Still obsessed over that ghost rock, Ed?"

"I am, Doctor Slattery. As a geologist, my interest is purely professional-"

"It's more than professional interest. You're haunted by it, aren't you?"

Bright sighed.

"Well, if you were dealing with a rock that glowed like a spirit at a seance, you'd be interested in it too." he replied.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in."

The door swung open, and a man in a black cassock entered.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Adán Alonso."

Bright extended his hand.

"Doctor Edward Bright, Professor of Geology at Miskatonic University. The other man in here is Doctor Benjamin Slattery- a fellow academic at the same institution."

"And what is he a professor of?"

"Thaumaturgy."

Adán blinked.

"What is that?"

"Mystic arts, spellcasting, and the like. If it makes you feel better, I'm one of the good guys, _padre._ "

"I relinquished that title some time ago. And I appreciate you being forthcoming about your knowledge of magic."

" _Knowledge_? I'm a bona fide spellslinger."

Adán was silent as he took a seat.

"So, what brings you to these parts?" Bright asked.

Adán cleared his throat.

"Once, I was a proper priest in Tijuana. I was a younger man then, fresh from the _seminario_. But I learned the hard way that some of my fellow vicars of Christ were more interested in the pursuit of temporal pleasure."

"Let me guess- you caught one of your superiors doing something he shouldn't have." Bright replied.

"That's what happened. My immediate superior was fond of soliciting women of the night, I accidentally caught him in the act, and he defrocked me when I threatened to inform the bishop."

"But why become a wandering preacher?" Ben asked.

"The West is a dangerous place, _hermano_. As a wandering man of the cloth, I can bring solace to those who need it most- as well as fend of the forces of evil."

Bright and Slattery began to clap in approval.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Yes, Adán Alonso is an ancestor of Carmen "Raya" Alonso from _Jem_. And trust me, he's going to be pulling his weight against some of the threats he's going to be up against.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Contact

"Cheetor, report." Optimus Primal ordered.

" _I'm about twelve klicks out from_ _the_ Axalon _. Looks like the locals are doing some kind of m- er, boss bot? They're mining energon._ "

"Return to base, Ch-"

The sound of gunfire echoed over the _Axalon's_ comms system.

"Cheetor! Report immediately!"

" _I'm fine. One of the miners just took a potshot at me with a handgun._ "

Rhinox looked up from his work station.

"He'll be fine."

* * *

"So, you have any experience with the supernatural?" Bright asked.

Adán nodded.

"There was a Scotsman in Tijuana- about 50 years old, bearded, and had a weird gargoyle statue in his offices. It turned out that he was an ancient king named Macbeth- yes, _that_ Macbeth."

"Impossible. He'd have to be at least 800 years old by this point."

"He had some kind of curse put on him- he could only die at the hands of his companion or something like that, and only if he killed his companion at the same time. Turns out the gargoyle statue was his companion. Vengeful little _monstruo_ , she was. Looked something like a woman, but her skin was blue, she had wings on her back, and claws for fingernails. She fought like a demon."

Slattery nodded.

"I've heard rumors about this creature. They call her Demona, last of the gargoyles."

Bright sighed.

"I can believe a great many things, you two. I can believe that Ben here can cast spells. I can believe that Miskatonic University has a department devoted to thaumaturgy. But I cannot believe in nigh-immortal kings and gargoyles. Next you'll be t-"

The saloon doors swung open, and a man rushed inside.

"We were starting to dig up a new vein o' ghost rock when we got approached by some kind of spotted catamount! I took a shot at it with my sixgun, but it didn't even seem ta flinch!"

Everyone in the saloon stood in stunned silence.

"Let us see this creature for ourselves." the sheriff piped up.

* * *

HALF AN HOUR LATER:

"Well, we're here. No sign of your spotted catamount, Fitzroy." one member of the posse proclaimed.

"I know it was here! It can't have gone too far-"

As if on cue, the "spotted catamount" poked its head out from behind a rock.

"Okay- we believe you know." Sheriff Arashikage deadpanned.

Bright and Slattery nodded as they drew their rifles.

"That's no puma. It's a jaguar." Bright whispered.

The big cat noticed the posse aiming their guns at it.

"Cheetor- _MAXIMIZE!_ " it proclaimed.

The posse gawked in awe as the jaguar transformed into a bipedal mechanical being.

" _Madre di Dios._ " Adán whispered as he crossed himself.

Both the posse and the transformed Cheetor were at an impasse when four other figures appeared.

"What the-" Bright stammered.

"Cheetor, I ordered you to return to base half an hour ago. Why didn't you-"

Optimus Primal's gaze was drawn to the human posse.

"Will someone please explain what's going on?" he asked.

"I was wondering the same question." Sheriff Arashikage snarked.

* * *

SOME TIME LATER:

"So, let me get this straight. You're saying that you're sentient machines from another world and time period, that this "energon" you're looking for is what we call ghost rock, and there's another faction of sentient machines who're evil sons-of-bitches who want to establish some kind of empire. And since ghost rock gives off some kind of aura that'll harm you, both you and the other guys have to go around disguised as beasts." Bright mused as he settled himself in his saddle.

"That would be the gist of it." Dinobot replied.

Bright sighed.

"Mister Alonso, I know fully believe your story about the immortal Scotsman and his gargoyle companion. Clearly this proves that anything is possible."

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Yes, _Gargoyles_ is now part of the Earth-H canon. Why? First, _Gargoyles_ was a great show and I was planning to incorporate it eventually. Second, it's part of laying the groundwork for a grand bit of quasi-original fiction set on Earth-H.

At this point, it's in the concept phase, but the idea is basically that about twenty years ago, magic levels got high enough to where unborn children got affected- by which I mean "when they got old enough, they started slinging spells around".(And yes, Rapture from _Musical Illusionists_ is one of these kids.) Unfortunately for them, most of the world's magical authorities (i.e, the guys responsible for _teaching_ magic users how to not blow up a car by looking at it funny) did jack because of a masquerade. Long story short, you've got a whole bunch of young adult magic-users running around and I'm still working on the idea.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Power Surge, Part 1

"Fascinating. Not only does ghost rock conduct electricity, but it seems to have a unique reaction to having a current run through it." Bright muttered as he looked at the chunk of energon floating a few inches in the air above a table.

Slattery nodded.

"No offense to _Señor_ Alonso, but if you charged up a large enough mass of the stuff, you wouldn't need faith to move a mountain. And I mean that literally."

"None taken, Doctor Slattery." came the reply.

* * *

"Any reports from Cheetor?" Optimus Primal asked as he ventured into the _Axalon_ 's CIC.

"Just one. Apparently there's a dust storm due soon. I told him to hurry up, but I haven't heard from him since." Rhinox answered.

"Predacons?"

"Doubtful. Could've just wandered off and g-"

Just then, a klaxon began to blare.

"That'll be the storm. Seal us up, Primal."

* * *

To anyone foolish enough to have stood outside, the storm roared through the surrounding countryside, kicking up sand and similar particulate as it went. Out of this maelstrom emerged a lightning bolt, which struck the ground and subsequently supercharged an energon deposit. As if in defiance of all natural law, a good-sized hill suddenly rose from the ground and took to the air, the eerie phosphorescent glow of energon radiating from beneath.

* * *

"Of all the lousy luck- why'd _I_ have to get caught in this storm?!" Cheetor griped as he wandered through the howling winds.

Just then, he saw a glow in the storm.

" _Axalon_ , this is Cheetor. I've found energon!" he announced into his comm.

Static was the sole reply.

"Must be interference from the storm or the energon."

In the swirling clouds of dust, there lurked a presence invisible to Cheetor. This presence was an air spirit- a weak one, but still useful to a clever conjurer. That conjurer was lurking right outside the storm, and his name was Gaagii Black-Bull.

* * *

"I'm just saying that _I_ deserve to lead the Predacons!" Terrorsaur impetulantly squawked.

"Terrorsaur, you couldn't lead a parade, _nooo._ " Megatron replied.

" _SHUT UP! I'M TRYING TO WORK HERE!_ " Gaagii bellowed in the background.

"See what you did? You've irritated the human!"

Just then, Gaagii walked out into the hallway.

"According to my spies, there's a flying hill a short distance from here." he announced.

"I'll go! I'll go!" Terrorsaur excitedly announced.

Before Megatron could say anything, his SIC had transformed into his _Pteranodon_ alt-mode and flown away.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Power Surge, Part 2

"Energon! I wonder if it's stable…" Terrorsaur muttered to himself as he inspected the flying hill.

The Predacon flew in closer to inspect the glowing mass.

"Terrorsaur- _TERRORIZE!_ " he squawked.

He transformed back into his robot mode and poked at the energon. Before he knew it, raw, undiluted energy flowed through his systems, supercharging them.

"Let's see how Megatron likes me _now_!" Terrorsaur cackled as he transformed back into his beast mode.

* * *

" _Cheetor, report!_ " Primal ordered over the commlink.

"Boss bot? That you?"

" _Of course it's me! What were you doing out in that storm?!_ "

"It snuck up on me! Speaking of, it looks like the storm supercharged an energon deposit-"

" _Repeat?_ "

"The storm must have supercharged an energon deposit, because there's a flying hill out here!"

At that moment, the transformed Terrorsaur flew past Cheetor.

"And it looks like the Preds have already found it!"

" _Return to the_ Axalon _ASAP. Primal out._ "

Back in the _Axalon_ , Optimus Primal turned to face his fellow Maximals.

"Rhinox, you and Dinobot go give the humans a heads-up about the Predacons. Primus knows they'll need all the forewarning they can get."

"What about _me_ , oh fearless leader?" Rattrap asked.

"We're going to check out that flying hill for ourselves."

Rattrap muttered a few curses under his breath as he followed Primal out of the ship.

* * *

"Welcome back, Terrorsaur. How was the flying hill?" Megatron asked as his SIC landed outside of the Predacons' ship.

Terrorsaur was silent as he approached his leader.

"Answer me, Terrorsaur!"

"It was quite…invigorating."

"I don't follow."

Terrorsaur smirked as his shoulder cannons activated.

"As of now, _I'm_ in command of the Predacons!"

Before Megatron could make any kind of rebuttal, he found himself flying backwards from the _Darksyde_ before landing about a third of a mile away.

"Terrorsaur, you treacherous worm!" he bellowed as his minion approached him.

"Flattery will get you nowhere!" came the reply.

Megatron's optics grew wide as he saw Terrorsaur draw a rifle and fire, and then all went black.

"Easier than I thought." Terrorsaur mumbled as he looked at the scattered bits of Megatron that littered the nearby desert.

Nearby, the other Predacons looked on at the scene in shock.

"Megatron! We must save him!" Scorponok bellowed.

"For once, I agree with Scorponok. Where else are we going to get a pats- I mean, fearless leader like dear old Megatron?" Tarantulas added.

"Wazzpinator gather pieces of Megatron for funeral."

"We can reconstruct him!" Scorponok insisted.

"Fine! We have funeral first, and then Shellhead and Spiderbot reassemble him!" Waspinator snapped.

* * *

"What on God's green Earth is that?" a deputy asked as he saw Dinobot and Rhinox walk into Höllenfeur in their beast modes.

"Excuse me, sir- but do you know where we can find the local leader?" Dinobot asked.

"You want the sheriff or the mayor?" the deputy asked, his mind just accepting the sight of a rhinoceros and a theropod dinosaur standing before him.

"Sheriff." Rhinox answered.

The deputy sighed.

"I'll get him from the saloon."


End file.
